Wat Rong Khun: Thailand’s White Temple

Today’s location is a stunning image of Wat Rong Khun, also called the White Temple. It is a location I have seen many times and it always makes me sad I did not make it to northern Thailand during our vacation to Thailand. The image was taken by Lau and Fede Nale during their tour of Asia.

Wat Rong Khun

The White Temple is located in Chiang Rai, Thailand. After Wat Rong Khun fell into disrepair, local artist Chalermchai Kositpipat undertook the complete rebuild of the temple, funding the project with his own money. To date, Chalermchai has spent THB40 million of his own money on the project. Kositpipat considers the temple to be an offering to Lord Buddha and believes the project will give him immortal life.

Admission

Admission to the White Temple is free for Thais and THB50 (about $1.50 USD) for foreigners. The temple is open daily from 630 to 1800. The Museum of Paintings is open Monday through Friday from 800 to 1730. The White Temple is located about 13 km south of the city center and can be reached hiring a songtaew or by renting a motorcycle.

how they got the image

In their own words, Lau and Fede explain the story behind this image:

“We are long term travelers and, during our Asian tour, we traveled specifically to Chiang Rai to see this temple as it is so famous for being the only one that is just white. We arrived in the afternoon and was full of people wondering around, fortunately it closes very early so we first visited inside and enjoyed the surroundings. We waited until it was closed and most people has left, we waited for the perfect moment when no one was around. The day was cloudy and it helped to highlight the green and white differences. We tried several shots but this one in particular has the best reflection of the temple on the water, this is why we like it so much. This temple is a must-do if you are in North Thailand.

Lau and Fede

Lau and Fede are both from Argentina, but met in Madrid, Spain. After getting married, they have been long-term world travelers. In traveling the world, they have a unique project where they exchange Fede’s professional portrait sessions in exchange for housing (such a cool idea and Fede has fantastic work).You can see more of their travels at their website and check out Fede’s portraiture work on his website. You can also find them on Facebook as myphotosyourhome and on Instagram as @myphotosyourhome.